By Ellalyn V. Ruiz
The number of Filipino families that said they have experienced involuntary hunger due to lack of anything to eat has increased by 500,000 households in the third quarter of 2017, a Social Weather Stations survey said.
The nationwide survey conducted last Sept. 23 to 27 among 1,500 respondents found out that 11.8 percent or an estimated 2.7 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, 2.3 points above the 9.5 percent or about 2.2 million families in June 2017 but similar to the 11.9 percent or an estimated 2.7 million families in March 2017.
The SWS said the measure of hunger refers to involuntary suffering because the respondents answer a survey question that specifies hunger due to lack of food to eat.
Hunger rate is highest in the rest of Luzon at 13.8 percent (1.4 million families), followed by Metro Manila at 11.7 percent (364,000 families), Mindanao at 9.7 percent (506,000 families), and Visayas at 9.7 percent (427,000 families).
